Alternate Dimension
by clarkedarling
Summary: What goes on in the alternate dimension? With no demons to fight and no world to protect, what do they all do with themselves?
1. Introductions

There was only so much rococo-style art Clary could take. Analysing Goya's entire career, a range of his artwork spread out on the bed in front of her, she felt exhausted just looking at it all. The deep and rich imagery was intense at the best of times, but after three hours of straight studying she felt completely overwhelmed by it all. Running solely on caffeine and the desire to do well on the test, scarily entitled _'__The Influence of Goya in Modern Horror and Fantasy Depictions'_, she didn't want to stop until she felt completely satisfied in her knowledge on the topic. However, her mind couldn't take anymore information, and finally set her pen down.

Picking up her phone, she browsed aimlessly through social media before deciding to text Simon, curious to know if he had any plans. Reliable as ever, her best friend texted back immediately, telling her about his and Izzy's plans to binge watch the new teen werewolf show on Netflix at Alec's apartment. Though she wasn't all that interested in the show - it looked too moody and mindless for her - she said yes to going anyway. Any excuse to stop studying was good enough.

Shaking her fiery red hair down from it's messy bun, she switched her stained and wrinkled sweater for a less wrinkled plain grey t-shirt, though chose to leave on her sweatpants. Throwing her canvas bag over her shoulder, she left her dorm room. It had just hit seven o'clock, and she could hear the sound of a party raging down the hall. Peeking her head in, she spotted her good friend Maia Roberts in the throng of the crowd. Giving her a wave, Clary smiled. It was clear that Maia had had a couple of drinks, as she stumbled over to her.

"Girl, you should come in!" she slurred, tugging on Clary's shirt sleeve. "Come on!"

Shaking her head, the redhead sighed. "I already said I'd meet Simon and the others," she replied, shrugging. "Sorry. I'll make it to the next one, though!" Escaping Maia's clutches, Clary continued on down the corridor, laughing. The likelihood of her making it to the next party was slim, as she didn't really know any of Maia's friends and would rather hang out with her own.

Feeling her stomach rumble, Clary decided to get some snacks. She craved something salty, like pretzels, but also something sweet, like Swedish Fish. Turning into the nearest convenience store, she browsed the aisles, deciding what food the others would like as well. Simon, she knew, would want something garlicy, despite the protests he would get from everyone else. Izzy would prefer something cheesy, like cheese puffs. Alec was more difficult as he was often experimenting with veganism, and she never knew when these phases were. Deciding to play it safe, she chose Sour Patch Kids - which were gelation-free.

Her arms were full to the brim with snacks, she was trying to balance everything carefully. Clary was focusing so intently she didn't notice the boy as she turned a corner. The pair collided, dropping everything in their hands. Their food mingled together on the floor as they knelt down to pick it all up, both of them apologising. Looking up, she felt her jaw drop as her eyes met his. One eye was a bright baby blue, the other the slightest hint of blue swirling with the deepest chocolate colour. His jawline looked as though it had been sculpted by a Greek statue-maker, and his hair was the most angelic shade of gold she had ever seen, the sides shaved leaving the top long. He was hot, to put it bluntly. Probably the hottest guy she had ever met.

At a loss for words, she tried to think of something to say, but all that came out was another apology. He grinned, and she could have sworn her heart skipped a beat. "It's alright, I wasn't looking either," he told her. She could feel her cheeks tinge pink as he smiled at her, as she stood up. He handed her one of the bag of chips, and she awkwardly thanked him.

They continued to stand there and look at each other, not saying anything, clutching their food, until the bell on the door rang as another customer walked in. Blushing once more, Clary left first to pay at the till. She turned around whilst the cashier was counting out the chance, and saw that the boy was still looking at her. Biting her lip, she took her money and snacks, and left.

The second she stepped outside she regretted not getting his number, or at least asking him for his name. Sighing, she began walking towards Alec's apartment, feeling stupid. She was never good at dating, and was hopeless at making any sort of move on a guy she liked. Her only boyfriend had been Simon, and that had only lasted a couple of months until they realised they were better off remaining friends. Of course there had been brief crushes, for example a cute boy in glasses on the subway, or the waiter in a fancy restaurant. That's all they ever were; brief crushes. And the blonde boy with the mesmerising eyes was only another one to add to the list.

Arriving at Alec's modest apartment, her mind still on the boy in the convenience store, Clary knocked on the door. Izzy swung the door open, and gave her a wide, genuine smile. "Clary!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the redhead. "I'm so glad you're here, I hate being the only girl sometimes."

"What do you mean? It's just Alec and Simon."

"We invited Jace too," she explained, eyeing the snacks in Clary's arms. "You got cheese puffs! Wait till you see what I bought you." Running into the kitchen, Izzy returned with a bag of sweet and salty popcorn, a smug expression on her face. As usual, she got it just right. "A few months in and we can already read each other's minds! I don't know what Simon was worried about."

Chuckling, Clary wrapped an arm around Izzy's shoulder, squeezing her. "He was probably afraid we'd enjoy each other's company more than his."

"Impossible," blurted a voice from behind them. Simon appeared, wearing an worn t-shirt with some obscure rock band printed on the front, grinning from ear-to-ear. Ever since he had began dating Izzy, Clary rarely ever saw her without that smile. "You'd miss my winning personality too much."

He hugged Clary, and quickly swiped the garlic-flavoured chips from her arms. Izzy caught sight of the chips, and groaned. "Don't expect me to kiss you with garlic breath."

"I'd kindly remind my little sister that she isn't going to be kissing anyone in my apartment, regardless of what their breath smells like," piped up Alec, as he appeared in the living room. He was holding the TV remote, setting up the werewolf show. He grinned at Clary, and spied the vegan sweets in her hand. "You're the best," he called out to her, winking.

As Simon and Izzy perched themselves in front of the television, Alec wandered over to her. He eyed her suspiciously, and instantly Clary could tell that he could see something had happened. "What's wrong?" he inquired, softly so that the other two couldn't hear - it didn't matter anyway, they were too busy trying on each other's glasses. It was adorable, admittedly.

"Nothing, really," Clary sighed. "I just bumped into this really good-looking guy at the store, and I wish I'd been brave enough to do something about it."

"How good-looking are we talking? If he wasn't at least an eight, then you shouldn't be so hard on yourself." He always knew exactly what to say. Easing up slightly, she held up her fingers so that they amounted to ten. Alec's eyes widened, and he whistled. "A ten? That sounds too good to be true."

"He was!" she replied, her tone rather regretful.

Alec put a comforting hand on her shoulder, surprisingly gentle despite his impressive stature. "If it's meant to be, you'll see him again. If not, I promise there's a whole bunch of tens out there, just waiting for you, Morgenstern."

Another knock on the door broke them apart, as Alec walked over to the door to let in their final guest. Clary had yet to meet Jace, though had heard plenty about him. He was practically the Lightwood's fourth child, the amount of time he had spent with them whilst his parents were away on work trips. She suspected that Alec had perhaps had a little crush on him at one point, though it had now faded. By all accounts Jace was a bit of a womaniser, from the tales Izzy had shared. Curious, she watched the doorway, waiting to catch a glimpse of the infamous Jace Herondale.

The second he stepped though the door, she felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. It was the boy from the convenience store. For a split second, she worried he had followed her all the way there, and felt her throat constrict. Then she saw the others greet him warmly, and knew that he had to be Jace. Alec's words rang in her mind _'if it's meant to be, you'll see him again'_.

Their eyes met for the second time that night, and Clary thought they might as well have been the only two people in the room. His surprise was clear, and she didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. Suddenly very conscious of her lazy outfit choice, and her lack of make-up, she tried her best to smile. He grinned back, and she was convinced her legs were going to give way.

"Jace, this is Clary," Alec introduced them, watching the pair of them with complete scrutiny. "Remember, we told you about her."

"Right, Simon's best friend," Jace nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. "Nice to meet you, again."

An absolute sucker for drama, Alec leaned in. "Again? Oh, pray tell."


	2. Second Chances

Jace could have kicked himself the second he let the girl with the most incredible fiery red hair walk out of the shop. She was heart-stoppingly stunning, and he got the impression she was sweet too. He'd spotted her slight blush and she had apologised more times than he could have counted, when most people in New York would have kicked up a hell of a fuss.

He'd been unable to do anything to appease his racing heart, instead remaining frozen on the spot, simply watching her. He wasn't even sure he'd picked everything up, and frankly he didn't care. All he wanted was to chase after her and ask her for her number. When he'd finally got his legs to work, he approached the till and paid for his items. Stepping outside, he looked side-to-side for her, but was disappointed to find her nowhere. She'd disappeared, as though she hadn't existed in the first place.

Sulking all the way to Alec's, Jace cursed himself for being so awkward. He wasn't usually like that; bad with girls, but there was just something about her and her unbelievably pretty smile that had rendered him tongue-tied. He wondered if he'd ever get lucky enough to see her again, and vowed to do a better job of doing something about his attraction to her.

When he reached Alec's apartment, he almost decided on turning back around and walking home. Watching some crappy werewolf 'drama' made for thirteen year old girls was not his idea of fun. Alec would be glued to the screen, preventing anyone from making a sound. Izzy and Simon would be canoodling in the corner, giving each other eskimo kisses or whatever it is inseparable couples do. Simon's friend Clary would be there too, and Jace really couldn't be bothered with making small talk.

From what he'd heard, Clary was very sweet and very nice - which was usually code for boring. On a different day, in a different situation, he wouldn't have minded meeting her. In fact, whoever the others had talked about her, he'd actually been looking forward to getting to know this girl they all knew. However, he simply wasn't in the mood.

Then he considered that perhaps going in would serve as a good distraction. He could eat his snacks, tune out watching the show, and just enjoy spending time with his friends. It could help to take his mind off of the girl from the convenience store.

Sighing, he knocked on the door. Alec opened the door, and grinned. He widened the door to let Jace in. Simon and Izzy, as predicted, were practically sat on each other's laps. They waved at him briefly before returning back to switching their glasses. Alec placed a hand on his shoulder and muttered; "Simon's friend is here; _be nice_." His tone was firm, and warned Jace that if he didn't behave accordingly, he would have Alec to answer to.

His eyes landed on the girl stood in the kitchen, a bounty of snacks in her arms, wearing an old t-shirt and sweatpants. Immediately he had to refrain from gasping. It was the redhead he had bumped into earlier; she even had the same stunned expression on her face that she had earlier when they had collided. Despite her surprise, she was still stunningly beautiful. Her hair was something out of this world - literally, it reminded him of Mars. It was long too, and naturally wavy. Her eyes were a piercing, earthy green colour, her cheeks flushed slightly with pink, and her lips a soft peach. She was this wonderful combination of colours that it didn't matter about her grey attire. She stood out more than anyone he'd ever met.

Jace realised he had to say something. His heart was hammering away inside his chest, and his palms were getting sweaty. "Right, Simon's best friend," he muttered as he walked over to her, desperately trying to keep his voice steady. "Nice to meet you, again." Even though he was getting nervous just being near her again, he wanted her to know that he was glad she was there. That's why he couldn't resist adding the 'again', with the slightest ghost of a smirk on his face.

Alec leant in, mouth agape. "Again? Oh, pray tell."

"We just met," Jace answered, quickly. He didn't want Alec to get the wrong idea, thinking something sordid had gone on between them. "In the convenience store. She knocked me off my feet - literally."

He was certain he heard Alec gasp, and saw the girl, Clary, shoot him a cautionary look. Jace wondered what that was for. "What a small world?" Alec merely said, as he grinned, looking a lot like the cat that got the cream.

As predicted, the show was terrible. Jace couldn't bear to watch a single second of the poorly-written and even more poorly-acted episodes, instead scrolling aimlessly through his Instagram and tucking into his chips. Far too tempted, he found Clary's profile and was relieved to see it wasn't private. Sat on the opposite side of the couch to her, he began to go through her account for some harmless investigating. She had a humble amount of followers, and her posts were cute; a mixture of candids of her with friends - predominantly Simon, latte art, the occasional selfie, and a few very impressive drawings. Whilst her photos were very artfully shot and she looked pretty in every single post, Jace was more glad about the apparent lack of a boyfriend. There was the odd flirty emoji commented under a few of her selfies, however she didn't reply to a single one. Clary, by all accounts, was single.

He glanced over at her to see her struggling to stay awake. Her eyes were fluttering shut and her head was beginning to droop. Clearly she was as much of a fan of the show as he was. He couldn't help but laugh a little, subtly, though not managing to evade the attention of Alec. He smirked, and shook his head. "You're going to fall _sohard_for her," he whispered, that all-knowing glint in his eye as though he could see into the future.

Jace wanted to tell him that it was nothing, that he was merely looking at her, but he couldn't. He had to admit that bumping into her in the convenience store, watching as she slipped through his fingers, then seeing her again couldn't have been an accident. He wasn't a huge believer in fate, but he couldn't deny that he felt destined to meet her.

As though she could sense him thinking about her, Clary got up, muttering something about coffee. Alec turned to Jace, and widened his eyes. "Go after her, you moron," he hissed.

Doing as he was told, Jace got up and followed Clary into the kitchen. It was small and cramped, and there wasn't much room to manoeuvre around. It would be too awkward to just hover. He almost turned around, slipping out unnoticed, but she had already spotted him. Giving him a small smile, she held out the pot to him. "Want some?" He merely shook his head, to entranced by her. Her flaming red hair was falling about her face as she leaned over the counter, pouring the coffee into a mug. "If I have to sit through any more of that show, I'm going to need this coffee."

Jace chuckled. "I'm glad somebody else can see how cringy it is," he sighed, leaning against the sink. He watched as she held the mug in both her hands and blew on the steam. In the dim light she looked even more alluring.

"It is cringy isn't it!" she agreed, grinning. "How many more episodes are left?"

"Five, I think," he replied. He couldn't help the butterflies swarming in his stomach. Due to the tiny size of the kitchen, he was only a few feet away from Clary, and could feel the heat radiating off of her. She was making him nervous.

She groaned. "Oh my God, I don't think I can watch another moment. I'm only here because I physically couldn't study any more."

Cocking an eyebrow, he crossed his arms, trying to appear more at ease. "Oh? What do you study?"

"I'm an art major at the Brooklyn Academy of Art," she told him, without a hint of bragging. "First year."

"The Brooklyn Academy of Art?" Jace said, throughly impressed. It was a notoriously difficult school to get into, with a minuscule acceptance rate. "You must be extremely talented to have gotten in there."

Clary blushed, a pretty rosy colour flushing her cheeks. She looked down into her cup as she shrugged. "I wouldn't say that, but I am proud to have been accepted," she answered, humbly. Setting the mug down, she glanced back at him. He could have sworn she moved an inch closer. "Maybe I could show you some of my artwork sometime?"

Gulping, Jace merely nodded. "That would be . . . great." Her boldness took him aback, and he wasn't sure what to say.

"Do you go to college?" she asked him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

He shook his head. "No, it . . . didn't seem like the right fit for me, you know? I wasn't very academic at school, so couldn't imagine another four years at college. I wanted to start earning, so I opened up a coffee truck business instead." Jace was stunned at how open he was being with her - somebody he had only known for less than two hours. A longtime sufferer of anxiety, he would usually keep his cards close to his chest. Alec and Izzy were the only people he truly felt at ease with. However, despite the heart palpitations Clary's presence was giving him, he found it surprisingly easy to talk to her. Just as long as he didn't focus to long on the soft curve of her lips, or the flecks of almond brown in her eyes, or anything else about her.

"A coffee truck business?" she exclaimed, rather excitedly. "That's so cool. What made you start that up?"

She genuinely seemed interested, and Jace found that encouraging. Most girls would be put off almost immediately, insisting that it wasn't a proper career. "Well, I had a friend who had this old truck. He wanted to make some quick money, and I realised that I wanted to start up this business. What attracted me to it initially was that I get to be my own boss . . . "

They stayed in that kitchen for hours, just chatting about everything and nothing. Two, three, four pots of coffee later, they'd covered everything from their parents, to schooling, to their favourite flavour of ice cream. Nothing too heavy, but it wasn't bland smalltalk either. Jace felt as though he was really connecting to Clary. She was so fascinating, and she intrigued him. There was more to her than just a pretty face.

Suddenly they heard a_ping!_that interrupted their debate about the best pizzeria in Brooklyn. Clary fumbled in her pocket and pulled out her phone. Curious, and a little jealous, Jace wondered who could be possibly texting her late at night. "It's just my roommate, Maureen," she sighed, as though she could hear his thoughts. "Wondering where I am. Oh wow . . . it's half four."

Jace peeked his head into the living room; Alec, shockingly, was still glued to the television, completely enthralled, whilst Simon and Izzy were sound asleep wrapped up in one another's arms. He smiled. "The lovebirds are sleeping, but Alec's still up," he told her. "We can slip away now and say goodbye. Go back to yours?"

Raising an eyebrow, Clary gave him a bemused look. "That's a bit forward, don't you think?"

His jaw dropped, and he felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "Oh God, no, that's not what I meant at all," he quickly tried to assure her, shaking his head. His face felt hot and his mouth felt dry. "I just meant I can walk you home - if that's alright with you."

She laughed it off, and placed a hand on his forearm. "Relax," she said. "Of course I don't mind. I'd enjoy the company."

There was something so beautifully eerie about being the only ones walking around Brooklyn at dawn. Something very romantic. They had talked and talked for so long in the apartment that silence between them wasn't awkward, but more comfortable. The sun was just beginning to rise, a beautiful blend of purples and oranges stretching out across the sky. Glancing over at Clary, he saw her admiring the colours, her eyes wide. He could tell she was looking at it with her artist's eye, imagining the brushstrokes. The early morning air was bracing, and he saw her shiver. Shrugging off his beloved leather jacket he slid it around her shoulders, ignoring her protests that she was perfectly content without his clothes.

"Nonsense, your lips are going blue," he had said with a smile. They were only a few inches apart, so much so he could the little hairs on her head moving with his breath.

"So you've been looking at my lips?" she teased, smirking at him. He felt his throat constrict as he chuckled, nervously, the pair of them continuing to walk.

Clary was certainly flirtatious. She had been making comments like that for the last hour, and it was starting to make his head spin. No girl had ever had this kind of an effect on him before, and it was throwing him off balance. He didn't know how to respond, how to flirt back.

When they arrived to Clary's accommodation, an awkwardness hung in the air. They were stood in front of the door, not saying anything. Jace so desperately wanted to kiss her, but didn't know if that would be a step too far, or if it was even the right moment. They were both sleepy and cold, and there was a homeless man across the street on a bench, watching them with intense scrutiny. Instead, he settled for a hug. Wrapping his arms around her, he could smell an intoxicating lavender scent. Pulling away, he gave her a wide grin, despite his burgeoning blush. "I had a great time," he told her, sincerely.

"So did I," she replied, with a sweet smile. She turned to head inside, but not before giving him a small wave. "Bye, Jace."

As the door closed, Jace knew that he had absolutely fallen head over heads for Clary. Irrevocably so.


	3. Parental Advice

Clary's mind was racing far too fast for her to focus on her art. Sat in front of an easel, the blank canvas in front of her, and instead of thinking about what her midterm assignment would be, she spent her time thinking about Jace. He was unlike any of the boys she knew in college, or indeed any that she had met before. Everything about him was charming, and alluring, and just so sexy. She bit her lip as she remembered how he had walked her home and given her his coat. Not counting anything that Simon had done, it was the nicest thing a boy had ever done for her. Especially impressive when she took into account that he was practically a stranger.

His eyes were what stuck out the most in her memory. One was this piercing blue, the colour of the ocean in summer, and the other flecked with dark chocolate brown. They were incredible, and were all she could see when she closed her own eyes.

Letting her pencil flow freely across the canvas, she surprised herself by sketching a rough but recognisable outline of his eyes. Did it fit with the theme set to her by her professor? Perhaps, but it was a stretch, with the theme being angels.

"This shows potential, Morgenstern," came a voice from behind her. Swivelling around, Clary saw her art teacher, Professor Gingham. She was a beady-eyed woman covered head-to-toe in knitted shawls, feathered earrings, and brightly coloured eyeliner. "Risky move, taking the brief literally, but I'm intrigued. Keep it up."

Gingham wasn't one to dish out compliments, so Clary accepted it gladly. Grinning, she continued on with her work, continuing the rest of the outline. She found Jace unusually easy to draw, despite only seeing him twice that previous night. She couldn't explain why she had memorised nearly all the details of his face, or why his face even came to mind when she was thinking of drawing angels. It was an impulse, her body reacting before her brain could.

The more she drew, the more her heart started to pound. Ever since he had walked her home, Jace had been all she could think about. Never, _never_, had she been like this about a guy before, and it was making her feel uneasy. What did she really know about him? Izzy had said he was a bit of a womaniser, whilst Alec sang nothing but his praises - though did agree with his sister that Jace did enjoy the company of a girl or two. In their conversation, Jace had seemed kind and gentle, even a little shy. He had stumbled over his words, blushed when she flirted, and had given her his coat without the expectation of at least a kiss in the doorway. That didn't seem like the type of boy who broke hearts.

Was he even interested in her? How did she know that a boy who looked like him was even bothered about a girl like her. She was short, too short for most of the rides at Coney Island up until recently. Her hair resembled a carrot, her skin was far too pale, and she had no sort of shape to her body other than pencil-straight. Clary certainly didn't think of herself as _sexy_. Perhaps Jace was just being polite, walking her home. He hadn't really said much to her this morning, which suggested he found her dull and void of stimulating conversation. Most of what they had talked about in the kitchen had been small talk really, just the usual what are you studying, where are you from, what's your favourite food etc.

Clary felt conflicted. She knew little about boys, except Simon of course, who she perhaps knew a little_too much_about. She was reluctant to trust him after the intel her friends had given her, but didn't want to judge him based on other's opinions when he had been nothing but sweet with her. Who could she talk to about him? Izzy and Alec were out of the question - they had known Jace for nearly ten years, whilst they had only known her a few months. Maia was an option, but the pair had never been particularly close, and to ask her for dating advice now would be far too awkward. Again, Maureen, her roommate, wasn't a close friend, and the girl was more into her books then her boys, so Clary wasn't sure she would be the best person to ask. Luke was out of town, or else she would have immediately picked up the phone to give him a call. Of course Simon was the obvious choice, with him being her nearest and dearest friend, one of the only people she could turn to for anything. However, she knew for a fact that he was out with Izzy that night at some new arcade that had opened downtown. She didn't want to bother him, not when he had been planning this date for weeks.

No, the only people left she could trust to give honest and unbiased advice were her parents.

Jocelyn had made Clary's favourite, chicken cacciatore, and the smell of it cooking away in the oven hit her the second she walked through the door to her parent's loft. One of her favourite places in the world, Clary had some very fond memories growing up in the loft. As her dad's job importance at The Institute grew, so did their loft. First it was a new kitchen sink installed, then a skylight, a better bathroom, a walk-in wardrobe, and finally an art studio for Clary and Jocelyn to work in. Their worn-in couch was traded for a plush, warm yellow one, with proper armrests and an armchair to match. The creaky floorboards were fixed, and the lights no longer flickered. Right in front of her eyes, her family home became more and more polished and elegant.

Walking in, she threw her canvas bag down onto the armchair and kicked off her shoes. As much as she liked the dorms, her home would always be at the loft. Hearing the door shut, Luke peeked his head round the door from his office. His eyes lit up when he saw Clary, and he came running towards her. Wrapping his arms around her, he enveloped her in the biggest bear hug he could.

"Dad, it's only been a week!" she exclaimed, though didn't pull away. Their hight difference - he was nearly a whole foot taller than her - was one of the most endearing things about their relationship. The way he could be so gentle with her despite his impressive stature was adorable.

"I know, but it feels like a lifetime," he replied, and she could have sworn he was pouting. "Why did I ever agree to let you move out? I miss you far too much. Even your loud music."

Clary laughed. "You can always come and visit," she reminded him. "I'm still in Brooklyn."

Luke grinned at her, and winked. "I'll hold you to that."

Something caught her eye on the dining table. It was an old-looking book, leather bound and ivory, the colour of bone. There was gilded lettering on the cover, in a language she couldn't comprehend. "What's that?" she asked, walking towards it, as though she were drawn to the ancient tome. "A new find?"

"Do you like it? It's called the Book of the White," he replied. "Supposed to be some old spell book, though who's to say what it's about because it's all in Greek. Magnus Bane - you know the tarot reader? - he paid me a lot of money to track it down for him."

Impressed, Clary repressed the urge to stroke the spine of the book. One touch and she feared it would crumble to dust, like in those movies about the mummies. Tearing her eyes away, she looked around the rest of the loft. Her mom was around somewhere - more than likely in the art studio. As if by magic, Jocelyn appeared with a bright smile on her face, paint smeared on her old pair of jeans.

"Sweetie! You didn't say you were stopping by," she exclaimed, giving her an enthusiastic kiss on the cheek. Then a flash of concern appeared across her features, features so strikingly similar to her daughter's. "Has something happened?" Luke's brow furrowed as he stood beside Jocelyn.

Clary was careful how she responded. "Nothing bad, no," she quickly replied, not wanting to worry her parents. "I just needed someone to talk to about . . . about a guy."

The pair of them breathed an almost comical sigh of relief. While Luke tensed up at the mention of a boy, he seemed glad that it wasn't something more serious. Jocelyn however grinned, and looped her arm through Clary's. "You can tell me all about it in the kitchen whilst I'm finishing dinner. I'm sure your father has something he can be doing in the meantime?" It wasn't a question, it was an order. He sighed, but gave the two women a teasing smile, and muttered something about needing to send out more invitations for the grand re-opening of his flagship bookstore.

When they reached the kitchen, and Luke was safely out of earshot, Jocelyn turned to her daughter. "Is it Simon?" she asked, stirring the pot on the stove.

Clary couldn't help but laugh at the suggestion. "No, he's with Izzy. You know that."

"I thought that was the problem," her mother responded. She scrutinised her daughter's face. "It's not, is it?" Clary shook her head, hurriedly. "Well, if it isn't Simon, who is it?"

Thinking about what she was going to say, Clary chewed on her lip, biting back the smile that instinctively was brought to her face when she thought about him. "His name is Jace," she answered.

"Oh?" her mother said, sounding intrigued. She even set the spoon down to properly look at Clary. "I haven't heard about him before. Have you just met?"

"Last night in fact." Jocelyn raised an eyebrow, as Clary rushed to explain herself. "Not like that, mom! He's a friend of Alec and Izzy's. We were all at Alec's apartment, watching that new show on Netflix."

Patting one of the seats at the dining table, Jocelyn ushered Clary to sit down with her. "I know you, sweetie," she began, with a soft smile. "If after one night you're already coming to me for advice about a boy, then you must be smitten. What's he like?" Her hand was on her chin, and she was grinning widely. She was like a teenage girl, wanting all the gossip.

Her relationship with her mother was as close as close can be. The pair were inseparable, and shared almost everything. Most mothers and daughters could barely stand to be in the same room as one another without a row breaking out. Jocelyn was only thirty-nine, younger than most of her friend's parents - Simon's mother was ten years older. Clary and her mother had practically grown up together. It's why she felt comfortable telling her mother about Jace.

"Well, he's really sweet mom. _Really_sweet. He walked me home and gave me his coat. Asked me questions about school, and he actually cared about the answers. And he's easily the most handsome boy I've ever seen. He's got this incredible blonde hair - not bleached, all natural. His eyes mom, oh my god, they're so fascinating. One is blue, like the colour of the sky blue, and the other is brown."

She could have continued all day, describing Jace in full detail. He was like a character in a film or a book, somebody written so perfectly that he was too good to be true. Flipping through any romance novel she was sure to find a dozen boys just like Jace, which was what worried her so much.

"There's a catch, isn't there?" her mom sighed, tilting her head sympathetically.

Clary nodded. "Izzy told me about Jace's . . . past with girls. He sounds like a bit of player."

"And you're afraid that you're just another girl on a very long list?" As always, her mom was spot on. In a past life she must have been a psychic. "Sweetie, if you want to make a go of it with him, then you should. Don't let what others say put you of from going after what you want. However, knowing what you know about him, I'd suggest you don't give him your whole heart. Keep something back for yourself, that way if things don't work out you've not given yourself away completely. That's why it hurt so much when I left your father - your real father. I'd given him absolutely everything despite knowing what he was like, and got nothing in return."

Giving her mom a big, heartfelt hug, Clary was glad that she had someone so wise and loving to rely upon.

After Luke had been allowed entry back into the room, Jocelyn served dinner for them all. Clary was tucking in, trying to savour every mouthful of her mother's cooking, knowing full well that she wasn't going to get a meal like that back in the dorms. Glancing up over her second helping, she saw her mom reach out and grab Luke's hand, squeezing it. Clary smiled; she adored her parents' relationship. The way that they had known each other for practically their whole lives, and still took pleasure in showing simple affection towards one another.

Suddenly, she felt her leg vibrate. Looking down, she saw her phone in her pocket light up with a message. Curious, she slid the phone out and took a peek. It was a number she didn't recognise. Her parents were still making eyes at one another, so Clary took the chance to open the message and read it.

_Hi, it's Jace. I hope you don't mind but Alec gave me your number._

Instinctively, she beamed. So he was interested after all.

_Jace from last night, if you couldn't remember._

He was nervous as well as interested. Clary found it endearing. She bit her lip as she typed a response.

_Of course I remember you._

Unlike most boys, Jace took a matter of seconds to respond.

_Good. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you._

Her heart jolted, as though a thousand volts of electricity had been injected into her veins.

_Sorry, is that too forward?_

Clary smiled slightly, and typed out her response without delay.

_I haven't been able to stop thinking about you either._

Butterflies were swarming in her chest, waiting for him to respond. She felt like a schoolgirl again, texting her crush. She'd have thought at eighteen she'd have mastered the whole confidence thing, but it was still a work in progress.

_I hear there's a good Goya exhibit on at Wayfarers, and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me? I figured it would help you with studying for that test._

He remembered her test? Clary felt overwhelmed when she read that, knowing that he had truly been thinking about her enough to want to take her to an art exhibit. Without hesitation, she replied, feeling ecstatic.

_I would love to go._

"No phones at the dinner table, you know the rules," her mother called out to her, sounding as though she were far far away. It broke Clary out of her reverie, but not before stealing one more glance at her phone. She saw that Jace had sent her another text.

_It's a date._

And then one more;

_It is a date, isn't it?_


End file.
